Landfills within metropolitans create serious problems both because of environmental pollution and the large areas they cover in city territories. Today, several methods have been developed with the purpose of rehabilitating such areas. In Turkey, ITC Invest Trading & Consulting AG was the first company putting such applications into practice on behalf of the Ankara Metropolitan Municipality.

Ali Kantur, Chairman of the Board of Directors for ITC Invest Trading & Consulting AG, stated that the target of the Solid Wastes Project is to extend the life of landfills by minimizing the volume of waste being dumped; hence contemporary, sustainable, and globally approved recycling, disposal and rehabilitation methods must be adopted.

Now Mamak Landfill is becoming an industrial park with recycling facilities. The following activities are carried out in the landfill area:

• Waste Management

The project is a combination of a series of sub-projects focused on recycling and rehabilitation, which ensures the disposal of solid wastes, rehabilitation of wild landfill areas, design and operation of sanitary landfill areas, treatment of hazardous and medical wastes, recycling of packaging wastes and the excavation of soils.

• Energy Production

Methane gas produced from organic wastes is delivered through pipes and electrical energy is produced.  Currently 26 mg/Watt electric energy is produced. The target is to produce 80 mg/Watt electrical energy within a few years;

• Greenhouses

Greenhouses have been developed in order to use heat produced during electrical production. In these greenhouses, fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes, grapes, and strawberries are produced. Algae is produced in another area, which will then be converted into biodiesel.  Algae greenhouses have been developed with a capacity of 20 liter biodiesel per one square meter.

85% of the waste at Mamak Landfill is being recycled. The remaining 15% is converted into ash that can be used in road construction and cement production. Disposal of wastes in the biggest landfill of Ankara, with a population of approximately 4.5 million, is critical for both health and the utilization of city territories. As a result of this project new settlement areas are being created in vicinity of Mamak Landfill.

With this new approach in Ankara, inhabitants have increased their awareness regarding recycling and have started to show interest in separating their own waste. Are technologies that may be deemed new for Turkey used in your city as well?

Credits: Image and data linked to sources.